1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to suction cleaners, and in particular to suction cleaners having cyclonic dirt separation. In one of its aspects, the invention relates to a cyclone separator with a vortex stabilizer upon which a vortex is retained.
2. Description of the Related Art
Upright vacuum cleaners employing cyclone separators are well known. Some cyclone separators follow textbook examples using frusto-conical shape separators and others use high-speed rotational motion of the air/dirt to separate the dirt by centrifugal force. Typically, working air enters and exits at an upper portion of the cyclone separator as the bottom portion of the cyclone separator is used to collect debris. Furthermore, in an effort to reduce weight, the motor/fan assembly that creates the working air flow is typically placed at the bottom of the handle, below the cyclone separator.
BISSELL Homecare, Inc. presently manufactures and sells in the United States an upright vacuum cleaner that has a cyclone separator and a dirt cup. A horizontal plate separates the cyclone separator from the dirt cup. The air flowing through the cyclone separator passes through an annular cylindrical cage with baffles and through a cylindrical filter before exiting the cyclone separator at the upper end thereof. The dirt cup and the cyclone separator are further disclosed in the U.S. Pat. No. 6,810,557 which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,571,772 to Dyson discloses an upright vacuum cleaner employing a two stage cyclone separator. The first stage is a single separator wherein the outlet of the single separator is in series with an inlet to a second stage frusto-conical separator.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2005/0138763 to Tanner et al. discloses an upright vacuum cleaner having a cyclone separator. A horizontal wall or platform inside the cyclone separator is of non-porous construction and acts as a central vortex return air platform because it does not contain any ports for the passage of air or dirt. In one embodiment, the wall is formed as part of a rotatable dirt cup lid.